This invention relates to battery compartments for electronic medical devices and more particularly to side loading battery compartments having a single round loading aperture for such devices. Because of the environments in which they are used, electronic medical devices must have housings that are sealed against the intrusion of fluids into the housing. Should fluid ingress into the housing, the electronics supported therein could be irreparably damaged. Often, these electronic devices are battery operated.
Battery compartments in such devices require a battery door to close and seal the battery compartment. Typically these compartments have one of two shapes; an elongated tubular shape, or a rectangular shape. Battery compartments having a tubular shape and a round loading aperture can easily be made liquid proof by sealing the loading aperture with a screw cap. Unfortunately, the long thin tubular shaped battery compartments are undesirable in many small electronic packages. Rectangular compartments are easier to incorporate into these devices because they typically match the shape of the housing. However, rectangular compartments are difficult to seal. Typically the rectangular door is snapped or screwed into place over the battery loading aperture, which makes it difficult to effectively seal the entire perimeter between the door and the loading aperture.
Accordingly, the invention provides an electronic device including a housing having a plurality of sidewalls defining a generally rectangular cavity within the housing to support therein a predetermined number of generally cylindrical batteries. One of the sidewalls defines an aperture extending through the sidewall and opening into the cavity. A support member is mounted in the housing and includes a support portion extending into the cavity to support inserted batteries in a position transverse to at least one of the sidewalls until all of the predetermined number of batteries are inserted into the cavity.
According to another aspect, the invention provides an electronic device including a housing having a plurality of sidewalls defining a generally rectangular cavity within the housing to support therein a plurality of generally cylindrical batteries. One of the sidewalls defines a single generally round aperture extending through the sidewall. The aperture opens into the cavity, and a round sealing member dimensioned to fit within the aperture is inserted into the aperture to enclose and seal the cavity.
According to yet another aspect, the invention provides a support member for supporting batteries in a battery pack having a generally rectangular housing. The support member includes a base portion adapted to be slidably mounted in the housing for movement relative to the housing between first and second positions, a lip connected to the base portion for at least partially supporting batteries in the housing at least temporarily in a position transverse to a sidewall of the housing, a conducting member connected to the base portion, and a spring assembly connected to the support member to bias the support member toward the first position.
It is an advantage of the invention to provide a new and improved sealed battery compartment for an electronic device.
It is another advantage of the invention to provide an electronic device for supporting batteries in a sealed rectangular aperture.
A further advantage of the invention is to provide an electronic device for supporting batteries that has a round sealing member to enclose a battery loading aperture in the electronic device.
Still another advantage of the invention is to provide a support member for supporting batteries in a battery pack.
Other features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the attached drawings, detailed description and claims.